New York Knights
by Sarreen
Summary: A trip to New York turns into a family reunion for Max when two people they were sent to investigate turn out to be Manticore escapees.
1. 1

New York Knights  
  
Disclaimer: James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee own the characters of Dark Angel, not me. I'm not asking to be sued. I do own Charlene (Charlie), Arthur, Jen, Lonnie, Nick and Kyle.  
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and a bit of fighting.  
Summary: A trip to New York turns into a family reunion for Max when two people they were sent to investigate turn out to be Manticore escapees.  
AN: Thanks for all the replies to 'Only The Girl Next Door Cries'... hope you like this. If I get enough replies, I'll continue with chapter 2 (only about 6 chapters, give or take). Started writing this off and on since somewhere between 'Haven' and 'Shorties In Love'. I realize in my story Logan is walking... if I want to play God with Logan's paralysis, I don't see why I not. First chapter focuses more on the past of Krit and Charlie.  
  
Seattle - Logan's Apartment  
  
Max swiftly strode into his office. "You paged?"  
He looked up at her before returning his gaze to his computer screen. "How so you feel about a trip to New York?"  
"Depends... why are we going to New York?" She asked, looking over his shoulder at the New York Times clipping he was reading. 'Half Dead Drug Dealer At PD Door, Knights Suspect'. She quickly skimmed the article, memorizing anything that seemed important. 'Forth criminal this month... Knights wanted for questioning for previous acts since their appearance in 2016... Electricity once again shut off in building... Police baffled as to true identities...'  
"Care to solve a mystery?" Logan grinned up at her boyishly.  
  
New York - Knight's HQ  
  
"Charlene, Krit, great work last night. We made the front page again. Your money has already been sent to your accounts."  
"No prob, Daddy." Charlie, a slight, dark haired girl told him cheerfully, her vibrant blue eyes shining, flickering from her magazine to her father behind his desk to her co-worker leaning against a nearby wall. "I'm just glad we got out of there in time."  
"It was nothing to worry about, Charlie." Krit piped up, his dark brown eyes sticking to the book in his hands. "We got back before the seizure hit, no biggie."  
"No biggie?!? No biggie?!? If we had waited five more minutes, we could have been to late! You would have been in a coma right now if that jerk we bagged last night had enough common sense to bring bodyguards!" Charlie snapped at him from her seat on the sofa, her magazine finding it's way to the floor in the midst of her protest.  
"It's all over now, sweetheart. Nothing to carry on about. You both are safe and that's all that matters. Why don't you go see the gang. I just bought you all a new TV and a Playstation 3." He informed his daughter, knowing she would take it as an order. She stood with a sigh, kissing him on the cheek before walking out.  
Krit rubbed his barcode, his neck tense. "I hate it when she worries about me."  
"Well she hates it when you worry about her, so you're even. Now the real reason why I asked her to leave. How is she?"  
"She's fine, Arthur. She still has no idea about Manticore or the fact that she's adopted. She's still convinced that our seizures and enhancements are birth defects." Krit coldly reassured him.  
  
Gillette, Wyoming - Manticore - 2004  
  
Krit, Max and Eva stealthily walked through the corridor. Today was a simple track-and-retrieve mission, simple at least for this group of four year olds. All they had to do was make sure they weren't the last to find the disk.  
Eva signaled 'All clear' before the three silently crept down the hall. A door a short distance a head of them opened, a pair of soldiers practically dragging a pregnant woman out of the X6 ward, their hats covering their faces. The woman's blue eyes connected with his as she was pulled past the trio. No words were spoken. No breathes were taken. But Krit knew that someday those eyes would change his life.  
The next day the compound was in chaos. A mother from the X6 ward with the help of two men dressed as soldiers had disappeared.  
  
New York City - 2009  
  
Krit hid in an alley, surrounded by 'the enemy'. A bright green ball bounced down the alley, a giggling 5 year old chasing after it, her dark pigtails following her like streamers. He swiftly grabbed the ball holding it out to her. She was so small, so young, so weak. He walked towards her as she stood still, smiling shyly, her eyes on the ground.  
"Thanks." She muttered softly to him, reaching out for her toy.  
"Charlie!" A deep voice called out, full of concern.  
She turned towards the voice. "Over here Daddy! I just lost my ball!" She turned back to Krit, her vibrant blue eyes finding his. His mind flashed to the mother who had disappeared. Could it be possible? Could this weak and scared little girl be the X6?  
"Charlene, sweetheart, don't run off like that. I thought the bad people might of found you." The thirty something male said, walking up to the pair. Krit looked at him, calculating his weight, height and muscles. Barely a challenge. He watched as the girl was picked up, giggling at the look of relief on the man's face.  
"I'm a tough girl, Daddy." She turned serious, knowing now wasn't the time to play.  
"I know you are, sweetheart, but trust me, they're stronger then you. You're no match for them." He warned.  
"OK, Daddy. I'll be more careful." She hugged him, pulling back to look at Krit.  
He had just stood there, watching them with curiosity. What was a 'Daddy'? Or a 'sweetheart'? His mind was drowning with inquiries.  
He found the pair staring at him. "Kid." The man addressed him. "My name's Arthur Mercer. This is Charlene-"  
"Charlie." The girl insisted.  
"People call her Charlie. Are you lost? Do you need help finding your family?" He knew who the kid was. He know what he was capable of. He just had to stay relaxed.  
"No." He flatly answered.  
"You look kinda hungry. Want to come with me and Daddy to have lunch? We're having hamburgers and onion rings."  
Something about her made him less fearful for his life. Maybe her innocence. What ever it was, she was a calming influence just by looking at him and he wanted to know why... before these new dangers tried to eliminate him.  
He nodded, following the pair. He was swiftly surrounded, but he continued to follow. People went by him, ignoring him, acting as if he didn't exist. People bumped into him, walked past him, glared at him, but never attacked. He was lead to a building that rose up into the sky. He looked up at it in wonderment.  
"Me and Daddy live on the very top floor." Charlie said at his side. She took his hand, smiling warmly as she tugged him forward. "Come on, I'm starving!"  
He was lead into the building and towards an elevator. He stared at himself in the mirrored walls as they traveled upwards. What was their game? Why were they acting so nice?  
  
The meal was good, and he decided to stay with them for the evening and sneak out in the middle of the night. It didn't' seem as if they were going to hurt him in any way, and if they did he could easily win.  
After Charlie fell asleep, Arthur sat down on the couch. "When did you escape from Manticore?" He bluntly asked.  
"Two weeks ago. I've been staying away from cities until now."  
"I don't blame you. I'm guessing in your eyes Charlie is a possible threat."  
Krit nodded. "She's the X6 who escaped, isn't she?"  
"Yes. But don't speak a word of this to her. She knows nothing about it. To her, her Manticore enhancements are birth defects and that Manticore, or 'the bad place' as she calls it, just wants to study her powers."  
"You're protecting her?"  
"She's just a child. So are you. None of you kids disserve any of it. I just wish I could have saved all of you."  
"What happened to her mother?"  
"To protect her and her daughter, I had to lie to my own sister. Heather was told that Charlie died during birth and she committed suicide. She couldn't live without her daughter and she would be killed if she lived with her."  
"What do you want from me?"  
"If you want, I'd like you to stay here, live with us, protect Charlie. She may have the strength, but she is no Manticore kid and I can't always protect her."  
"I'll think about it." And with that Krit walked out.  
A week later he was living in the room across from his new mission, befriending her and becoming a part of the family.  
  
New York - Knights Headquarters - 2020  
  
"She should know what she's in the middle of. It's like walking blindfolded into a battlefield. It's suicide."  
"We've been over this. It's for her own good. What she doesn't know can't kill her."  
"No, but it can send her to hell for the rest of her life." He walked out, needing to clear his mind. Charlie had become his responsibility the day he moved in with them and he wasn't about to have anything happen to her.  
He jumped in his sports car and Charlie got in the passenger side, smiling as they drove off.  
She rolled the window down, asking "You and Daddy had a fight about me again, didn't you?"  
"I just want you to know what they are capable of... I want you to be safe if they brainwash me."  
"But you would never ever hurt me. Not ever. The bad people can't be that powerful." She said softly, the wind whipping her hair around her.  
"They are. They want me and my siblings back so they can reprogram all of us. If anything happens to me, I want you to either find my brother Zack or one of my other brothers and sisters and I want you to tell them about me, tell them I want them to take care of you."  
"I promise. I'll track down one of your other siblings, though. You know I can't stand Zack. He's too serious. Like you were when we first met."  
He smiled at her response as he continued to drive aimlessly in silence.  
  
Somewhere Between Seattle and New York - One Week Later (Max's POV)  
  
So here we are, Middle of Nowhere, USA, getting the tank filled by some guy in his 70s who offered to 'fill my tank' while he was at it. I felt Logan stiffen beside me. I don't see why. We're not like that. He's just a way to find my sibs and I'm just his genetically engineered killing machine for hire. Right?  
I get out to grab some food before we continue to drive, figuring it would be harder for Lydecker to track us if we didn't leave a paper trail. I convinced Normal I had pneumonia and got a few weeks off. I told Cindy to tell any strangers that I went to Canada and for her not to touch my baby. She offered to help me pack, talking about me and Logan banging the gong the whole time I'm away. I eventually gave up, agreeing with anything she said. I just hope she never mentions that conversation to Logan. I get back in the car only have Logan grab my favorite candy from my lap. He just had to like Skittles. Good thing I got two packs.  
I've spent most of the ride reading everything and anything Logan could find on these Knights. The more I read about them, the more I think I've met my match. They've caught as many dirtbags as me, and I barely human. I don't know if I should be impressed or worried.  



	2. 2

New York - Krit, Charlie and Arthur's Apartment  
  
Charlie walked into the living room, carrying a tray with a bowl of popcorn and two glasses of coke. "Daddy just called. He said that he got word of some rich guy... Logan something, I think, coming this way from Seattle. He thinks this guy's money might not be as clean as it seems. He wants us to check it out when he gets here tomorrow. He's staying on the third floor at the Chandler." She sat beside him on the floor, leaning against the black leather couch. "So what's on tonight?"  
"Nothing on TV. Movie?" Krit asked, mindlessly flicking through the channels.  
"Sure. What's the plan? Internal equipment or the roof of the old music store?"  
He shrugged. "Rooftop. If we get the impression that he's up to something, we'll place bugs to get what we need to nail him tomorrow. He can't spend all day in his room." He reasoned. "Matrix 3?"  
  
Chandler Hotel Lobby - Next Day  
  
Logan and Max impatiently waited to sign in. They had spent the last few hours stuck in Logan's Aztec and both wanted to rest before the real work started.  
The manager eyed Max suspiciously from behind the counter. "Mr. Cale, good to see you again. I see you've requested your usual suite."  
"I used to come here alot before Jonas and Margo moved to Seattle." Logan quickly explained to Max before turning back to the man. "I take it the usual steps were made for my arrival."  
"Yes, sir. The maid's key to your room was taken and all security other then the lock on the door was disconnected. Anything else?"  
"Just the key." Logan smiled, quickly signing 'L. Cale and M. Guevera' in the guestbook before grabbing the key from the desk and heading towards the elevator, Max in tow, a bellhop carrying their four bags.  
"Only one bed?" She asked jokingly, walking into the bedroom and flopping down on the bed.  
"You always said you never sleep." Logan shrugged, taking laptop and a few electronics out of one of his bags and started setting up on the nearby desk.  
Max leaned on her elbows, watching him. "You couldn't live without that thing for 5 minutes, could you?" She taunted him, stretching on the soft mattress, letting herself decompress.  
"What's with you?"  
"They have a fire place downstairs and I smell bubble-baths in the bathroom. If it wasn't for work, I'd be in heaven right now." She giggled softly under her breath.  
Logan looked at her quizzically. "The fire place...?"  
"S'mores. I love s'mores." She simply stated, sitting up. "I'm taking a bubble-bath, yell if you need me." With that she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  
He turned back to his computer, trying to purge the picture of Max... naked... in the tub... surrounded by bubbles... He shook his head. 'Gotta focus on work.'  
  
Knights HQ  
  
"He checked in this morning, with a female companion. We have nothing on the girl. She is to be unharmed, unless she provokes you." Arthur told them both, pacing in his office, Krit and Charlie sitting leisurely before him, Krit reading and Charlie, staring into space. "Are either of you listening to me?"  
"Of course, Daddy." Charlie said lightly.  
Arthur sighed. "Well then what did I say?"  
The pair looked at him.  
"Checked in this morning." Krit said flatly.  
"Got some girl with him." Charlie matched his tone.  
"Don't know her, don't hurt her." Krit finished.  
"Yeah." Arthur simply said. "That's it."  
Charlie stood up, kissing Arthur on the cheek before walking out, saying "Bye, Daddy."  
Krit followed her out, leaving his book in Arthur's office as always. "No, we can't take some music with us." He said to Charlie before she could even open her mouth.  
"Why not?" She whined.  
"Because we need to pay attention."  
"But stake-outs are *so* boring! I'm gonna need something to do!"  
"You'll live."  
  
Top of Abandoned 'Rick's Music' Building - Late That Night  
  
"I told you not to bring that." Krit told Charlie glancing at her as she put a CD in her player. "Do you ever listen to me?"  
"Do you ever stop complaining?" Charlie asked, smiling.  
They both sighed, turning back to the Chandler Hotel, both using Manticore 'super-sight' to watch Logan and his mystery girl in their room. The girl sat with her back to the window, eating popcorn, throwing it in the air and catching it in her mouth, watching some pay-per-view movie. Logan was sitting at a desk nearby, working on a computer.  
"Would you check out that hardware." Charlie, licking her lips. "I swear. Give me and Gogol ten minutes on that baby and all hell would break loose. That computer looks like it could hack into the Pentagon, you know, with the right owner."  
"You and Kyle spend *way* to much time together."  
"Again with the complaining."  
They sat in silence for a moment, Charlie putting her CD player back in her bag, trying to find another way to entertain herself.  
Krit interrupted the silence. "Is it just me, or does this chick never miss?"  
Charlie glared at him. "'Chick'?"  
"You know what I meant. Just watch her." The dark haired girl through a kernel in the air catching it effortlessly on it's way back. "She hasn't missed one since we got here."  
"So she's good at catching food. Big-whoop."  
"Your right... probably nothing." He turned his attention to Logan. "What would he be doing with all that computer stuff?"  
"Hacking most likely. I'd have to take a closer look, but Eyes Only would have similar equipment." Charlie said thoughtfully.  
"Hacking... like into banks?"  
"It could be done."  
  
Logan and Max's Hotel Room  
  
"I think someone's watching us." Max murmured to Logan, her eyes staying on the screen.  
"Uh-huh." He nodded. "Across the street?"  
"Mmmhmm." She turned the TV off. "I'm gonna go for a walk."  
He turned off his monitor, standing up and following her into the sitting room. "Good idea."  
  
Roof Top  
  
"Where are they going?"  
Krit sighed. "Why are you asking me? Do I look like I'm psychic?"  
A silence followed.  
"Found 'em."  
"Where?"  
Charlie pointed down to the street, straight at Max an Logan, crossing the road.  
"They're coming this way."  
"Let's get out of here." Krit ordered at the sight of Max and Logan walking into the empty store.  
They silently dashed to the other side of the roof at an inhuman speed, jumping through an already shattered window in the next building.  
Max quickly throw the door open, expecting to find something, anything thing, to show who or where their watchers.  
Nothing. Not a single clue proving that anyone had even been there.  
"Paranoid much?" She heard Logan ask jokingly as he made his way up the final steps.  
"I could have sworn..." She trailed off, continuing to look around.  
"Don't worry about it, Max. Lets get back to the room."  
She followed him back down the stairs, trying to shake the feeling of worry from her. Was she really just being paranoid or was there someone watching them?  



	3. 3

Stairway  
  
"Oh GOD, that was close!" Charlie nearly screamed, getting the attention of a few squatters. She passed Krit her bag before she started stripping as they walked, unzipping her black shirt, turning it inside-out and pulling it back on, smoothing an invisible wrinkle on the now baby blue shirt. "Do you think they saw us?" She asked grabbing both their bags from him.  
"Don't worry kid, we were away from the window before they even got to the top of the stairs." He took off his sweatshirt, grabbing his bag back and shoving it in, pulling out a leather jacket.  
"How the Hell did they know they were being watched?" Charlie asked no one in particular in a harsh whisper.  
"I'm not sure, Charlie. I'm going to suggest to your dad that we have a few people trail them tomorrow while we get in the room and set bugs." Krit responded equally frustrated and perplexed. "What do you think?"  
She sighed, opening the front door to the building as they entered the crowded street. "I think we should add a camera or two. Something is up with them and it's caught my interest."  
  
Knights HQ  
  
"Daddy?" Charlie called out in a singsong voice as she and Krit walked into his office.  
Arthur looked up at her, smiling. "Sweetheart... I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow. Did you get anything?"  
"Not really, Daddy. We just... ran into something... unexpected." The girl told her father, looking down at her shoes.  
He looked puzzled. "Unexpected?"  
"We were watching from Rick's, like we said we would, but they knew that they were being watched. They even came over looking for us." Krit explained. "I was thinking that we should have someone follow them tomorrow and have Charlie sneak into their room, leave a few bugs, a cam or two-"  
"Maybe hack into his computer... see if I can track down anything..." Charlie interrupted, biting her lip in thought. "I think if we can get anything solid on him, it will come from there."  
Krit smiled a little at their similar trains of thought. "Yeah... good idea." He stood walking over to a window and looking out onto the poverty stricken streets.  
"I want you to wear an earpiece and microphone, just in case. I don't want anything going wrong." Arthur insisted.  
"Yes, Daddy." The girl answered obediently, to tired to argue about her safety. She hadn't slept in a few days and it was taking its toll on her. She made sure not to show any physical signs of fatigue, but Charlie was positive that her young guard knew she wasn't sleeping.  
"Since we've got all of this under control, why don't we go home. You coming with us?" Krit asked, walking over to stand behind Charlie's chair, standing guard over her as always.  
"No, I have an informant to meet sometime between two and three. By the time I get it all sorted out, I'll have time to drink my coffee and go to bed." Arthur said, sighing heavily.  
"You ok, Daddy?" Charlie asked him.  
He smiled at her, looking her in the eyes. "I'm fine, Sweetheart. I'm just a little tired is all. Go home. Get some rest. You have a mission tomorrow."  
Charlie stood up and leaned across the desk, kissing her father on the cheek. "'Night, Daddy."  
"Sweet dreams, Charlie."  
  
Krit, Charlie and Arthur's Apartment  
  
Krit sat the drowsy girl down on the edge of the bed. The tired X6 mumbled something bout not being sleepy, but he knew different. He crouched in front of Charlie, unzipping her blue shirt and stripping her of it, quickly followed by her black tank top. He gently took her hand and pulled her to her feet as he stood up. He hugged her, running his hands slowly up and down her back before moving to the fly of her black jeans, ridding her of her pants and socks before sitting her back down. He grabbed a hockey jersey, slipping it over her bra and panty clad body before lying her back against the mattress and kissing her forehead. He quickly rid himself of all his clothes but his boxers, to tired to change. He climbed in beside her, smiling as she rolled onto her side, a thin arm finding it's way across his waist.  
"Krit..." She mumbled in a haze, not sure if she was awake or dreaming.  
"Yeah, Charlie."  
"I missed sleeping in your bed."  
"Well I missed holding you in my sleep. It's easier to protect you this way."  
He felt her cheek move against his shoulder as she smiled. "Uh-huh." She responded. "I missed that too."  
No good nights or sweet dreams were spoken as the pair lost themselves in the land of dreams, wrapped in one another's arms.  
  
Max and Logan's Room  
  
"You think we'll find them?" Max asked, staring out at the street. "I only have a short time off."  
Logan looked up from his work, watching her as she looked out onto the world, the lights softly illuminating her body. "Of course we'll find them. Besides, if we don't find them now, we could always come back another time." As he spoke he walked up behind her, looking over her shoulder.  
She turned to him, leaning back against the window, ignoring the smell of his cologne as best she could. "Yeah, I guess. I'm just a little home sick. You know, missing the gang and all."  
"Why don't you call them tomorrow? Tell them about New York… after we get back from some sight seeing." Logan smiled, watching her face light up for a millisecond before becoming impassive once more.  
"Sight seeing? And here I thought this was a business trip." She said, smiling mischievously.  
He shrugged, smiling back. "It's not even a real business trip. I just got curious and dragged you along for the fun of it."  
A silence overcame them. An uncomfortable, yet unbreakable silence.  
'He's to close!' The soldier part of her mind screamed out. The part that believed it was all phony sentimentality. But she couldn't move, her body frozen.  
He slowly leaned in, drawn to her. His lips neared hers and their eyes fluttered shut, not caring that this might be wrong, that this simple kiss would change everything.  
"Room service."  
Max quickly pulled back, eyes wide, her lips parted in shock as a blush painted her cheeks. "My strawberries." She muttered, nearly racing for the door.  
Logan leaned his head against the cold glass where the young woman had been leaning seconds ago and sighed. 'You've got a choice, Cale.' He reasoned with himself. 'You can keep torturing yourself and keep her at arm's length, or you can kiss her.' He looked at her reflection as she walked into the room and sat on the floor, pulling out some files concerning the Knights he had found earlier that day. 'Forget it. She just wants to be friends. Phony sentimentality and all that.'  
  
Dark Apartment Somewhere in New York  
  
He leaned back in his seat, taking a long drag from his cigarette before continuing to bargain with the man on the other end of the phone.  
"$500,000 and free passage for me and the X6 to Canada."  
"Deal." Lydecker sighed on the other end. "And the X5 will come peacefully."  
"The little one will be in danger. Of course he will."  
"Why are you doing this? What did he ever do to you?" Lydecker said, trying to keep him on the line.  
"Simple." The man said, putting his cigarette out on his coffee table, joining a number of identical marks. "He got to protect her. He got to live with her. He got to be the one she called to when she needed help. If he hadn't shown up, I'd be the one in her life. He hung up not looking for a reply. In less then a week Charlie would be his and Krit would be long gone.  
  
Manticore - Gillette Wyoming  
  
"Well?" He asked impatiently.  
"I don't know what kind of scrambler this guy is using, but we pinpointed down to seven different locations, none of which are in the US. Who ever this guy is, he wants this done his way." The soldier responded, staring at the monitors.  
"We have to get our hands on that X6."  



	4. 4

Krit, Charlie and Arthur's Apartment - The Next Morning  
  
Krit snapped awake at the sound of the key in the door to find himself spooning Charlie as close as he could.  
"Charlie, baby, wake up." He whispered harshly in her ear.  
She brought her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes. "Hmmm?"  
"Baby, your dad's here."  
Her eyes shot open, listening to the sound of her father enter the kitchen and start to make coffee.  
"You distract him." Charlie said to Krit as she climbed out of his bed. "I'm headed for my room."  
He nodded, getting up and pulling on a T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. As he walked towards the door, he paused, smiling over his shoulder. "It was a good night."  
"Yeah. A good night." She smiled at him before continuing to search for her socks.  
She held her clothes to her chest as she silently raced down the hall to her room.  
"Coffee?" She heard her dad ask.  
"No thanks. Get anything good last night?"  
'Krit, you're a saint.' She threw her clothes from last night in the hamper, pulled her stuffed animals off her bed and climbed in, messing her sheets up before closing her eyes, feigning sleep.  
"Charlie?" Her father asked moments later, walking into her room. "Sweetheart, you awake?"  
"Hmmm?" She asked, rolling onto her back. "Daddy?"  
He smiled down at her, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Yeah, Sweetheart. You sleep well?"  
She nodded, smiling sleepily. "Yah. You get da stuff?" Her voice accented so she sounded like she was talking to a drug dealer.  
"Yeah," Arthur told her, yawning. "I got it. I'm gonna put you and Kyle on it after this Logan Cale thing. It's a lot of tech stuff, so you two will have a better idea of what it all means." She just smiled, nodding at him.  
Charlie responded after a few seconds of comfortable, warm silence. "I haven't worked with Gogol in a while. I've missed him."  
He smiled once more, kissing her forehead and standing up. "I'm giving Kyle a call, finishing my coffee and going to bed." He informed her. "I can't wait until Lonnie gets back from vacation so she can talk to informants at ridiculous hours of the night."  
She giggled, nodding eagerly. "I miss Lonnie, too." She smiled serenely as Arthur yawned. "Go to bed, I'll see you this afternoon." She told him insistently. As he left, she called out, "'Night, Daddy." She heard him close his bedroom door and she got out of bed, heading for her washroom. "Time for work."  
She walked out almost half an hour later, her hair blow-dried and dyed dark brown. Her hand flew and gripped the frame of her closet door, the other in her hair as pictures flashed through her mind. One of her 'siblings' were grabbing a gun, getting ready for a mission, studying a profile. "Not now." She muttered, grabbing her pill bottle and swallowing some. After a minute or so, she smiled, satisfied she had suppressed her seizure for now. "Just don't happen until tomorrow." She quietly prayed, her eyes shut tightly.  
  
Max and Logan's Room  
  
Max lay sleeping on the couch, files in her lap when Logan woke up the next morning, a bowl of half eaten strawberries at her side. She looked so peaceful, so angelic. He knelt down beside her and brushed a stray curl from her face, her eyes fluttering open. "Logan?" She asked, looking up at him.  
"You were sleeping. Sorry to wake you." He told her softly.  
She sat up, not realizing how close he was until they were inches apart. "It's ok. I only need a few hours here and there anyways." She said softly, breathing in his scent.  
Without warning, he leaned in and the world disappeared in one simple kiss.  
"Max." Logan's voice snapped her awake.  
"Uh? Wha?" She rubbed her eyes, quickly focusing on the man standing above her.  
"Sorry. Didn't think you wanted to miss breakfast." He told her, smiling boyishly.  
"It's ok." She sat up, looking at him expectantly for a second before getting up, remembering that dreams don't come true. She walked to the bedroom, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm just gonna shower and change and I'll be right out." He sat down on the couch, reaching for one of the leftover strawberries from last night. "Leave my food alone."  
He watched as she walked away, smiling to himself. 'If all goes as planned, this is going to be one interesting day.' He thought, biting into a berry.  
  
On The Sidewalk In Front of the Chandler  
  
She giggled as he held onto her protectively, pressing her hips into some stranger's truck, her arms wrapped around him tightly.  
"I thought they were supposed to be out of there by now." Krit growled into the microphone hidden in on the collar of her studded leather jacket. A soft moan from the girl followed his complaint.  
"Do you two mind?" Their friend asked, mocking them. "Some of us would like to work without an audio-only porno coming through on their headset."  
Charlie quickly pressed her face into Krit's shoulder, masking her giggles.  
"Nick, as much as I'm loving this, where are they?" Krit's stone-cold tone finally got the message across. He didn't come here to play carefree teenage couple. He came here to work.  
"They just entered the lobby. I got the room two floors above it. I tried to get you the one above it, but it's occupied." Nick informed them, typing on his computer. "I've got all the cameras ready. When you get in, give me five minutes of action, and I'll take over from there."  
They had done it hundreds of times before, pretending to get hot and heavy, wait for their moment and enter like they own the place… usually it would involve gun-fire and waiting for the 'head bad guy' to show up, but when in Rome.  
"That's them." Charlie whispered, moving a strand of her foreign brown hair out of her face. They watched the couple walk away in the opposite direction and disappeared around the corner.  
"Finally." Krit couldn't help but mutter as he loosened his grip on Charlie.  
"Showtime." She grabbed her bag, leading him into the building, his arms wrapped around her waist as they walked up to the receptionist.  
Greeting them with a warm smile, the woman behind the counter said, "Welcome to the Chandler. Do you have reservations?"  
"Curtell. Heather Curtell." She told her, relaying the message she received through her ear-piece. She adjusted her sunglasses, smiling as she tried to control herself. 'Charlene *Heather* Mercer. Krit *Curtell*. Oh yeah. That's original, Nicky.'  
"Here you are, have a nice day."  
"You too." They walked in silence, holding tightly to eachother as they boarded the elevator.  
They stayed glued to one another, whispering so quietly that the guards watching the security cameras would think their words were ones of love they would never speak.  
Charlie giggled. "Really original, Nicky. Was 'Jane Doe' taken or somethin'?"  
"Just do your thing, k? I was working under pressure. The next time you need a last minute alias, get Jen to work on it." He joked.  
"Guys, lets just do this, ok."  
"Oh, that's right. All play and no work makes Krit a grumpy guardian."  
The doors opened to the fifth floor an d Charlie playfully dragged Krit by the shirt to their room. "Tired." She whined, tugging on his sleeve as he unlocked the door. "Bed."  
"Yes. Bed. I get the point." He said, crouching to look in her eyes. "Come on." He said softly. "Lets get some sleep."  
They stripped themselves of their shoes and jackets, lying down on the comforter, not bothering to do anything more then lie there, hugging each other in 'sleep'.  
Minutes slowly passed before Nick stated "Looping."  
"'Bout time." Charlie stated as she sat up, not caring that she was straddling her friend. "You get the rope, I'll harness-up." She said excitedly, jumping off the bed and skipping to her bag.  
She quickly lowered herself down the brick wall, slim-jimmying Max and Logan's bedroom window open. She climbed in as she unhooked herself, giving the rope a tug, signaling that she was in the room.  
Looking around, she spotted his computer, turning it on and accessing his files as Krit crawled into the room with the rope and her bag. After a good number of hours passed of her going through his files one by one, occasionally running into a fire-wall, she came along a file that looked promising.  
Her eyes widened and her ivory skin became impossibly white as she quietly spoke. "Krit. Remember all those codes you made me memorize for your sibs after Zack made you go away for awhile. Well… he's got 'em… all of 'em…"  
"Baby, leave the file alone." He said, walking up behind her. She couldn't find out about Manticore. It would kill her to know the truth about him.  
"OK." She exited the file, curiosity and a small amount of fear coursing through her. "Krit, what does chimera mean again?"  
"It's what we are, baby, remember. We're chimeras. Same with all of our siblings."  
"Oh. Yeah."  
They were both uneasy. Why did this guy have files on Krit's siblings? Why did this guy have more firewalls than Fort Knox?  
She opened a file entitled 'Articles in Progress', never expecting what she found.  
"Oh. My. God." She blinked, assuring herself of what she had found.  
"This guy is Eyes Only." Krit said in amazement.  
"No duh, Einstein. Do we still have to beat him up?"  
"Activate a fire-wall. See what happens." He instructed, smiling mysteriously.  
  
AN: If the next part isn't 90% M/L, you all have permission to kick my cute, little butt.  
AN2: I've got a story idea and I wanted to run it by you guys first. It's called 'Andrea'. Max has been keeping a huge secret about her past from everyone. Even Logan. But when everything seems to fall into place, how much will her life change now that she has her 5 year old daughter back?  
  
§†Sarreen†§ 


	5. Author's Note

I can only hope you can understand my reasoning for temporarily abandoning my story. His name is Marc. After discovering my hobby and that I hadn't written since we started dating, he urged me to continue writing. I should have a chapter up by the end of the week.  
  
Sarreen 


End file.
